A Different Type Of Champloo
by MaximusWang
Summary: What happens when a certain pirate decides to follow a ditzy brown-haired girl? Chaos and mixed feelings follow. MuFuu Can they ever get over their differences? Only time can tell. They're in for a whole new fight.
1. Denial

**MY GOD! A Samurai Champloo fic :D I wrote this cause I just finished re-watching the series and I realized that the ending made me feel empty and wanting more. So...my over-active imagination went to work and I came up with this! Not a one-shot, there will be more later. Read and Review. **

**Disclaimer: Samurai Champloo, even though it's almost as sexy as me does not belong to me. And that makes me sad. **

_The journey was finally at an end, with Fuu finally meeting the Sunflower Samurai even though the meeting was not what she expected it to be. _

_Muugen and Jin had both survived very tough fights and had come to an understanding of mutual respect. _

_However, as the journey's objective was completed, there was no more reason to continue traveling together. So as the trio came to the crossroads, they began their farewells. _

"_Well then" _

"_Let us meet again"_

"_So hey there's one thing I hadn't told you"_

_The heads of the pirate and the samurai turned to face the tiny girl. A confused grunt and a "What's that" followed this proclamation. _

"_When we first started this journey, we made a bet, right? Well...it was actually heads. That's all." Fuu stated matter-of-factly as she brushed past them. _

"_Well let's meet up again" _

_The eyes of the two men stared at the back of the girl walking away. Then they turned to each other._

"_Looks like we got tricked" Jin said with a slight shrug._

"_Seriously, what was the point of the whole journey." the light reply of the vagrant was surprising. There was no hint of anger in it, like he wasn't pissed off at being dragged around for so long on just a lie. _

_The two took one last look at the disappearing figure of Fuu before turning and going their separate ways. _

Mugen's stomach growled, reminding him that he didn't eat since that last meal at the cottage on that secluded island. Of course, he didn't have any money he could use to buy food.

He continued to walk, lacing his fingers behind his head as he turned his head to view the rice fields he was passing.

"Fuck," he was really starving.

He sighed, an action he almost never did. 'Really...what was the point of that whole trip...' he thought wistfully.

Sure he got a few good fights out of it, but he also nearly died at least 4 or 5 times. He didn't even get paid for the job, unless you counted those cakes and he went for weeks on end without food. He didn't even get a good lay the whole trip. He ended up knocked out more times than he could count by women he was supposed to screw.

His thoughts settled on a certain kunoichi. She was certainly a hot one and the things she promised him... Oh man...he nearly drooled as he remembered the sexual favors she said she would perform for him if he helped her. Well that's what she said...but he ended up knocked out and tied to a tree.

But seriously...throughout the trip he did not once have a satisfying screw. And they wondered why he was so irritable all the time. The reason he fought so much was because it got his mind off of his other 'sword'.

More than once he had the urge to just grab Fuu and screw her brains out but somehow he always managed to stop himself.

She wasn't that bad-looking even though all the comments he made about her would make it seem so. She had that whole 'innocent' look going on. And she wasn't as flat as she looked, something Mugen confirmed when he peeked on her in the bath. She also had some nice legs that he wouldn't mind having wrapped around him and a tight ass that he wouldn't mind spanking.

Mugen felt another part of his anatomy starting to express its dissent.

He groaned. 'Hungry and horny, what a great fucking combo.'

He sat down on a nearby rock, glad to be finally off his feet. He had been walking for at least 4 hours without a rest. He wondered what the others were up to, it had been about a week since they went their own ways.

'Ol' fish-face prolly went back to see his woman' the vagrant chuckled as he thought about how the uptight samurai had fallen for a simple prostitute.

'Fuu's prolly getting in trouble again. That lil bitch is always getting in over her head.' he smiled a little, thinking about how she could trip even when standing still. Suddenly he felt a pang in his heart.

'What if she really is in trouble? She barely knows how to use that tanto of hers.' His mind started running through the millions of situations she could be stuck in.

'Wait why the fuck am I worrying about her for. She's out of hair now. No more annoying bitch to hold me back. It's not like she did much for me anyways. Leaving me penniless and hungry. That's right...I'll hunt her down and make her compensate me. That's it, only reason I'm going after her. Compensation.' he affirmed to himself that, that was the only reason he was gonna go look for her. Nothing else.

"Hrmm...she went on the north path...and this is the west path..." he murmured, "so that would mean...if I cut across this forest I should end up somewhere near there."

He ran a hand through his messy hair and groaned as he hit a few snags. He really needed a haircut. He had let his hair grow the entire trip and now he no longer had his signature mini 'fro. His hair flopped messily across his forehead, occasionally getting into his eyes. It gave him a very un-Mugensque look. It made him look...as a girl put it, like pure sex. Not that he wasn't good-looking with his original haircut.

Mugen liked all the comments he was getting from girls but he knew that in fights, the hair would be distracting. Personally he didn't know how Jin put up with it.

He sighed as he ran through his hair one last time. "Might as well get going, not gonna get any fuller by sitting here."

He pushed pass the shubbery and muttered expletives as the undergrowth scratched his barely-covered legs. 'This better be worth the trouble.'

_In a town several of miles away from where Mugen was. _

"Order up! Come on new girl, hurry it up"

"Yes. Sorry, sorry." the brown-haired, doe-eyed girl replied. She picked up the order and ran to the table she was serving, stumbling a few times on the way there.

"Sorry for the wait" she said with a small bow.

Fuu sighed, 'Why was it always so busy at this time?' Then again, the reason she decided to work here was_ because _it was so busy. It meant more tips and more spending money for her.

The reason she took this job in the first place was because about three days into her solo journey, she realized she was out of money. So when she saw the ad for 'young waitresses' she immediately took the job.

The job paid a lot so she wondered why no one wanted it, something she found out soon enough. The waitresses had to wear the skimpiest outfits and had suffer the groping of frisky men.

She sighed, she really wanted to get back onto the road. The job seemed dull to her and seeing all the travelers pass by made her think about her two former traveling companions.

"That's it last order. We're closing up." the gruff voice of the chef could be heard over the sizzle of the frying pan.

"Okay!" she replied cheerfully before moving to clear the dishes and wipe down the tables.

Before long the last of the customers trickled out of the store and Fuu was greeted with eerie silence.

"Hurry up! Finish cleaning up so I can close up!"

"Hai, hai" as she moved to finish mopping up.

A few moments later, she found herself in her pink kimono standing outside the shop. She gazed up at the sky. The sun had already set and the stars were just starting to come out. She would just have to pick up some groceries and then head to the room she was renting.

"I wonder what they're doing" she murmured.

_Meanwhile in a forest in the middle of nowhere_

"Argh...I'm really fucking lost aren't I."

The reclining figure swore "I swear every fucking tree looks the same and there's not even any fucking food to hunt here" he grimaced as he remembered trying to eat that little squirrely creature he killed.

He leaned back against a tree and looked up at the stars.

"I'll rest here for tonight. Tomorrow I'm definitely making my way out of this shitty forest." with that thought he closed his eyes and he drifted off to sleep, thinking about a certain someone.

**Not that good I guess? Might be a little OOC in some places but I felt that Mugen really mellowed out at the end so I dunno. **

**Comments, criticisms, reviews are nice. **


	2. Regrets and a Reemergence

**Thanks to those that reviewed. Those reviews make me feel loved :D**

**Anyways I got caught up in the whole Samurai Champloo flurry and my hyperactive imagination wouldn't leave me alone so another update. Woot.**

* * *

The sun rose, bringing with it a new day.

Fuu sat up on her small futon and stretched bringing her thin, lithe arms over her head.

Today was her day off and normally she would sleep until noon but she had stuff to do, people to see. One of which was buying a new kimono. Her trademark pink kimono had become tattered and worn-out from her journey and slipped down her shoulders way too many times than she wanted. The last thing she wanted was to flash some horny travelers some skin.

She got up and counted the gold coins she had accumulated during her stint at the restaurant.

Smiling, as she found the results more than satisfactory. She would only need to work a few more days and she would have enough traveling expenses for at least a week or two.

Picking out a few of the coins, she shoved it into a small bag that hung from her obi. She completed her morning ritual of washing her face, doing a few stretches and eating a quick breakfast.

Smiling as she gave her room a quick look-over, to make sure everything was in place, she left to head towards the marketplace.

For a small town, the marketplace was a surprisingly large place. Even in the early morning, the place was bustling with townspeople and merchants. The marketplace even had a few stalls set up that sold western goods.

Fuu made her way through the numerous browsers and the eager merchants until she came to the store she was looking for. She smiled as she examined the various cloths put on display, a certain white and pink design catching her eye.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of red. She whirled around, heart in her throat as she searched for what she probably wouldn't find. Her heart sank as she discovered it to be just a few kids running around with a red banner.

Seriously what was she thinking, she silently admonished herself. Why would he be here? They went their separate ways didn't they? For what reason would he follow her?

She sighed as she returned to the store to purchase a sizable length of the cloth that she picked out.

She secretly wished that she had the courage to confess her feelings to that uncouth pirate before the group broke apart. But that would've been an awkward situation if he didn't reciprocate her feelings. And if they ever met up again after that, he probably would run away and she didn't want that. She would rather have a secret one-sided love than never see and speak with him again.

It was true, there was no way that wild wanderer could be tied down by just her. He liked girls with more meat on them anyways and she was, as he put "flat as a board".

She smiled ruefully as she paid for the cloth. Sure, she thought all that but already she missed him and it had been only a week or so.

She missed his smirk, his messy hair, his intense grey eyes, his excessive swearing and even his smell.

Numerous times during their journey she would screech at him to 'go take a bath' or that 'he stunk to high heavens' but secretly she liked his smell. His musk completed his whole wild beast persona.

She paid the man manning the stall and took the bundle of cloth in her hands. With her main objective completed she started heading towards her small house. There was no way she could complete any other tasks, lugging the huge bundle around.

'I really hope he doesn't get into any fights he can't handle...' she thought with a small frown, knowing the vagrant's temperament. With a fierce shake of her head, she pushed that thought to the back of her mind.

'This is Mugen I'm talking about. He's practically invincible, that big lug.'

_In a forest...Somewhere..._

The sleeping vagabond grumbled and smacked his face instinctively, the smack waking him up completely.

"Friggin' mosquitoes" he grouched, obviously pissed off that a mere insect disturbed his sleep, "What the hell, these mosquitoes are like the size of fucking birds. Any bigger and I can eat _them_."

His stomach grumbled at the thought of food. "Dammit better get moving, if I wanna get out of here."

He got up slowly, legs a little unsteady from his hunger. 'If I find her I'm making her treat me to 100 dumplings. Wait fuck that. She already owes me 100 dumplings,' he suddenly remembered the 'deal' the two of them made when he rescued her for the first time. 'So make that 200 dumplings. Yeah...200 sounds good.'

He felt revitalized with the prospect of food in the near future. He pulled out his claymore and started hacking at the vegetation in front of him.

He grunted with every swing, still unused to its weight. 'Why the hell does this sword feel so damned awkward' he momentarily stopped his destruction of the environment to examine the English sword in his hands.

It had a plain design but it served its purpose as a weapon. Fuu had given it to him as a parting gift, apparently it used to belong to her father. He had merely grunted and accepted it. He didn't give a shit about all that 'Christian' stuff, all that mattered was that he would have a tool to cut people up with. He didn't realize the sentiment of the sword until now. It was the last part of a father that she knew and admired...and he just took that, without a simple 'thank you'.

'Meh I'll just give it back to her as soon as I get my tsurugi fixed,' he remembered how his sword had snapped in that 'duel' with Jin, 'Though I doubt she could even lift it.'

He chuckled as he tried to picture the klutzy Fuu trying to lift a sword of that size and weight. He resumed his fight with the vegetation, cutting a swath through anything that got into his way.

He grunted and cursed and swore that if he ever saw another forest after this incident, he would burn it down.

_Back in town..._

Fuu gave a small moan of pleasure as she stretched out her back, wincing as she felt several cricks. Today was a tiring day but at least she got most of her errands done.

She had helped old Ms. Suzuka with her daily tasks in return for some provisions and some trinkets. She managed to barter for a small futon, for when she decided to go on the road again. She had visited some of people she had come to know in the small town and had ended up babysitting.

'Man...kids really are a bother, it's a wonder how Mugen's so good with them' she chuckled fondly as she remembered how she had caught Mugen playing with some of the little pirate kids. That was quite a sight. The big, mean pirate with a kid on his head and each of his limbs as he swung them around and dunked them into the shallow ocean water.

Fuu lightly slapped her cheeks to snap her out of her thoughts, 'A bath's what I need. Yeah...a bath sounds good' she hummed a light tune as she walked airily to the public baths.

* * *

Meanwhile on the road leading away from the town, a merchant down on his luck was muttering to himself. He had bad luck at this town as well, finding no customers for his wares.

He silently berated himself. It was probably because of his lack of self-confidence and his tendency to give up easily. After he found that not a single browser was looking at his merchandise, he immediately packed up and headed towards the next town.

He had been traveling for at least half a day and he realized that the sun was starting to set. He headed towards the forest to set up camp, choosing to stay off the road where highway bandits lurked. When, suddenly from the undergrowth out burst a blur of limbs and vegetation.

The merchant fell back in surprise landing on his bottom. He stared at the half-man, half-tree beast thing in front of him before his limbs finally started working again. He tried to scramble away in a crab walk type manner but the 'thing' whipped out a wiry arm and caught him by his collar, lifting him up.

"Oi, where's the nearest town?" the inquiry sounded like more like a feral growl than anything.

The merchant couldn't help but stare into the creature's grey orbs that barely hid the malicious glint that was shining through. "T-t-t-town?"

"Yes, where's the nearest fucking t-t-town?" mocking the merchant's stutter couldn't hide the irritation that was creeping into the man's voice.

"T-there's a town a-about a h-half-day's travel t-that way." the scared man managed to reply, pointing in the direction he had just come from.

"Are you fucking kidding me" it didn't really sound like a question so the merchant didn't really know how to respond.

"N-no?"

Suddenly the man who emerged from the forest let go of the merchant and he landed with a small 'oomph' on the ground. The man turned and started walking in the direction the merchant pointed. The merchant began thanking his lucky stars, as the violent man _was_ carrying an extremely large sword.

Suddenly the man whirled around and the merchant felt his heart stop.

"Oi, lemme get some money."

Surprise can make people do stupid things. The merchant stared at him with wide eyes, not quite comprehending. "M-money?"

"Yea, money. That shiny shit that makes the world go 'round."

"Y-you're r-robbing me?"

The man snorted "No, I'm asking for some money in exchange for me not killin' ya"

"B-but that's s-still the same"

"If I was robbin' you I would be asking for all your shit but all I'm asking for a lil bit of cash" the man growled, irritated that the witless merchant was starting to argue with him. "Now hand over some cash or I'll be forced to use other means."

The merchant was startled into action by the thinly-veiled threat. His twitchy fingers fumbled with his wallet, before he finally managed to get a handful of coins out. He threw the coins at the man, 'P-please don't kill me."

The man deftly caught all the coins before they fell and grunted as he turned and sauntered off, leaving behind a very bewildered and scared merchant.

The merchant somehow managed to get up and started running in the opposite direction on shaky legs. He didn't want to be there, if that man decided to come back. Screw highway bandits, they don't hold a candle to that man.

Mugen grumbled as he counted the coins in his hand. There was enough for a decent meal at least. He wondered why he didn't just kill the man and take the bag that held the rest of the money. It must be that thing...what was it called? Con...convolution? Constriction?

He dismissed it as something annoying and continued his leisurely gait. He growled as he pulled pieces of foliage out of his hair. There had better be a town where that merchant said there was or else Mugen would have fun hunting him down and cutting his balls off, if he even had any.

He yawned, tired out from his little traipse in the woods on an empty stomach. He laced his fingers behind his head and stared at the setting sun. He snorted, knowing very well that he wouldn't make it before it went down, bringing with it dusk.

With the sun setting, brought with it the end of another day.

* * *

**I had a bit of trouble finding how to end this chapter. **

**I'm not very good with scenes where there's no real interaction, so I decided to leave out the whole bath scene since I couldn't figure out what to make Fuu think or do in the bath. **

**I really wanted to make them meet in this chapter but I felt that, that would feel too rushed and I didn't want that so I dunno.**

**Comment, Criticisms, Reviews are nice. **


	3. Reunion

**My oh my. What's this? Another update? So soon? Are we possibly forgetting to do something? (Probably) **

**Thanks for the review(s). But on the same note, while I'm glad that people are reading this fic, as shown by the hit counter, there is only three measly reviews. While these reviews are gratifying and well-received, it does not change the fact that many do not take the effort to comment. Going by the hits on the second chapter, there are at least 300 something readers and yet only 3 reviews. Meaning only about a meager 1 percent of the readers actually bother giving feedback. **

**The fact that I take my free time to write fics and the fact that I get no profit out of this should mean something. One, reviews tell me areas in which I need to improve, which a writer always needs. Two, they also tell me that people enjoy my writing, which delivers a morale boost which in turn makes me want to work harder in the future.**

**Sorry about the mini rant. I just needed to get it out of my system. You can disagree with me but this is just what I feel. Anyways with that out of the way, enjoy the new chapter.**

* * *

Rays of sunlight streamed through the rice paper windows, basking Fuu's face with its warmth. 

She groaned as she opened one eye only to be blinded by the rays. She quickly clamped it shut, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep. It wasn't like she had anything to do right?

Suddenly, she shot up. Erg...right, she had to go to work today. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her murky, sleep-induced mind.

She got up slowly, shivering as the chilly morning air contrasted greatly with her warm bed. She changed quickly into the pink and white kimono that she made out of the cloth she bought the day before.

Fuu smiled as she looked down at her figure. She really wished she had a mirror. She just _knew_ that she looked good in it. The material was _just _the right amount of tight around her bosom and her hips. The kimono accentuated the curves that she did have, mostly showcasing his perky bottom. The cut of the kimono was also higher than most, giving everyone who looked more than just a glimpse of those pale, lithe legs.

'Even he would be impressed' she thought with a smug smile. 'Wow...Fuu, pull yourself together. You can't just let your mind keep wandering like that. It's just gonna make things harder on you.' she silently reprimanded herself.

But as she looked over her barren room just before she left, she realized something. She was lonely.

Even Momo, her flying squirrel had disappeared to God knows where right before that whole homicidal brothers situation. All the friends she made at the restaurant were just superficial friends, people you could talk about the weather with.

She realized why it was that she hated staying in a town like this. It made her remember. Remember all those days she survived on her own, getting by on her own hard work. Remember how her journey had started. Remember how safe and secure she felt when she found someone she could count on for support. Remember how no matter how much trouble she was in, there was always that person who would come and save her. Remember how she came to rely on them and how she loved them, each in their own way.

And mostly it made her remember how alone she was now. Once again, surviving on her own and getting by on her own.

She slipped on her sandals and stepped outside, shaking herself out of her morbid train of thought. She shivered as the chilly morning air competed with the beams of the sun, peeking over the horizon for dominance.

She walked slowly, finally adjusting to the temperature. She stopped by the fortune teller stall to get her daily horoscope.

_Watch your earnings_ were the only words written on the simple slip of paper. Fuu frowned, she knew just how uncannily accurate these fortunes were from personal experience. She tightened the small bag at her waist and fingered the tanto she hid in her sleeve. There was no way she was going to lose her money without a fight.

She started towards the restaurant again, this time at a faster pace. She realized that she would be late if she just stood around worrying about pickpockets and thieves.

She rushed in through the door of the restaurant and shivered, rubbing her arms to get the circulation going again.

"Morning Fuu-chan!" Fuu beamed at the sound of the cheery voice. One of the waitresses had taken a liking to the spunky, brown-haired girl and took it upon herself to show her the ropes.

"Hurry up and get changed. Long day ahead of us."

"Hai Honoka-san" Fuu swiftly walked into the tiny room used for changing. By the looks of the half-filled restaurant, it was going to be a busy day.

* * *

Mugen could've sworn he was going delirious from the hunger. 

"Fuck off...I ain't dying cause of some stupid ass reason as this" he muttered to the crow-men that flitted in front of his line of vision. He staggered and nearly fell before he caught himself.

A young parent steered her child away from the man who was muttering to himself.

Mugen suddenly straightened himself up. He knew that his mind wasn't functioning correctly at the moment, not that it ever did but he knew that the town ahead was not an illusion.

He nearly ran towards the sight, before he caught himself and continued with an air of haughtiness about him.

He finally reached the edge of town, nearly quivering at the though of stuffing himself. He scanned the town, looking for the one thing that was on his mind (and stomach) at the moment. His eyes came to rest on a bustling restaurant. Judging by the smells that wafted out, the restaurant's business was booming for good reason.

He strolled over to the restaurant, ready to fulfill one of his necessities in life (the other three being women, sake and a good fight). Little did he know, he was going to walk into more trouble than he bargained for.

* * *

"Whew" Fuu sighed, wiping a thin sheen of sweat off her brow. It was mostly because she was running around from table to table but it was also because of the uniform; even though it was quite revealing, it was extremely tight and constricted her breathing. 

"WHEN CAN WE GET SOME FUCKING SERVICE HERE?"

'Shit' Fuu cursed under her breath. It was _that _group again. _That_group consisted of five hoodlums who frequented the restaurant often. They were always causing trouble and starting fights. The sole conspirator was the leader of the small group. His underlings didn't do anything unless it was on his command.

The waitresses all dreaded it whenever he appeared since he was also a well-known womanizer and couldn't keep his hands to himself. The waitresses would always draw straws to see who would be stuck, serving him. And today was Fuu's unlucky day.

"Hi. What may I get you?" She plastered on a fake smile that made her look like a grinning loon.

"Gimme some bottles of sake. And some orders of dumplings. An' the house specials."

"Right away, _sir_" she said the last word with great distaste as she hurried off to get his order. She wanted to spend as little time as she could with those hoodlums.

"Here you go" she placed down several bottles of sake in front of the hoodlums who were roaring in laughter over a stupid joke. "Your food will be along shortly" as she made ready to escape.

"Hey, wait a minute. Come here and have a drink with us."

"I have other customers to tend to so I'll have to decline your offer." she gave a small bow and tried once again to escape.

"Hey, I told you to have a drink with us and I ain't takin' no for an answer" the man snaked out a ring-adorned hand and caught her wrist. He pulled her down into his lap.

"Don't worry it'll be fun" he smirked as he looked down at her face.

"Let go of me!" she screamed and squirmed, trying to get away from the man who was now starting to explore her body. She realized that it wouldn't work. The other waitresses looked on with sympathy but didn't move to help and the man was just simply too strong for her.

She remembered her trump card and reached into her sleeve...only to come up with nothing. 'Shit...it was in her other kimono...'

She re-doubled her efforts only to be met with a cruel laugh.

"Haha...I like 'em feisty! But if you mess around too much, I just be forced to mess up that pretty face of yours."

Caught up in their own situation, the hoodlums and Fuu did not realize how quiet the restaurant had gotten. And Fuu was too engrossed in trying to keep the dirty man's hands off of her to hear the familiar_clank-clomp _of steel-lined geta.

Suddenly a coarse, tan hand came to rest of the ringleader's shoulder.

"Oi, bastard. I believe she said to let her go."

"Who the fuck are-" the rest of the question was cut off by a fist to the face. Fuu was dropped and she fell to the ground with a small_thump. _

"Yo' 'uckin' 'it me." the incredulous man mumbled, holding his bleeding, possibly broken nose.

"'Et 'im!" he shouted to his cronies.

Two thoughts were racing through Fuu's mind as she scrambled away from what was soon going to a massacre. The first thought was 'Oh my god, someone saved me'. The second thought was 'That person sounded familiar'.

Meanwhile, the four henchmen screamed their battle cries and rushed at the craggy-looking man who just stood there.

The first two met their demise in the form of a hand gripping their faces and slamming them down. The second pair were just as lucky as the man went into some hand-stand type move and brought his geta-clad feet down on their heads in a spectacular double drop-kick.

The man turned to face the ringleader who was now cowering under the table.

"You want some of this too?"

The ringleader didn't answer, but judging by the growing puddle under him, he didn't.

"Get the fuck outa here. An' take those shit-heads with you."

The cowering man, glad that his life was going to be spared, went over and slapped the two less injured henchmen in consciousness. He forced them to help him carry the other two out of the restaurant, leaving in his wake a trail of liquid.

The mysterious man grunted and sat down at the table the hoodlums used to occupy. The patrons of the restaurant didn't know whether to cheer the extermination of the gangsters or be terrified of the new presence that was now sitting there.

Fuu now had her suspicions confirmed. That unique fighting style belonged to only one person but what would that one person be doing here?

Now the waitresses were arguing over who would get to serve the rugged stranger who took care of the thugs with such ease.

"Wait, wait that table's still mine." Fuu finally piped up, earning a few grunts of dissent from the other waitresses. But they knew it was the truth and decided to drop the matter.

Fuu walked timidly over to the table, still in disbelief that it could possibly be him. The man had his head down, hair covering his features. Hair that was too long to be his...

"Mugen?" the question came out as a whisper. The man slowly raised his head, their eyes meeting.

"Hn? Oh heya girlie" there was his trademark smirk! It was definitely him!

"Mugen!" she squealed as she launched herself onto him, nearly knocking him out of his seat.

He looked down at the figure, hugging his lanky form. He felt awkward; he was not used to non-sexual, physical contact. He brought one of his wiry arms around and started patting her on the back, hoping that would suffice.

"Erm...Fuu? People are watching." Mugen was amazed at the fact that he actually felt embarrassed.

"Oh. Um, sorry" Fuu muttered as she gave him one more squeeze before finally getting off of him.

"So what are you doing here?" her inquisitive eyes searched his features. He really did look different with longer hair. He looked...what was that word? He looked...No. No, no, no, no, _no. S_he was not just thinking that he looked handsome. Jin was the handsome one. Sure, Mugen had some amount of charm about him. You could even call him sexy, but he was most definitely not handsome. But looking at him now made her falter in her line of reasoning.

"I'm just passing through. I was hungry so I stopped here and I find you getting yourself in trouble again. So can I order?" Mugen didn't even take note of Fuu's inner debate with herself.

"Oh. Um, yes" she blushed a little, thinking how Mugen had to save her once again. "Thanks. Um, but didn't you take a different path?"

He grunted. "Gimme a hundred dumplings." After a short pause "Yeah I kinda got lost and I found out that this was the nearest town." It wasn't completely untrue.

"Oh...I see.." He wasn't there to see her. He didn't miss her. He didn't follow her. "Your food will be here shortly." she ran off to place the order and tend to her other customers.

He watched as she walked off. That look she had on her face made him regret. Why couldn't he say that he was here to see her? Even saying that he was gonna stick around until she compensated him sounded better. At least he would be around her. But instead he had said that he 'was just passing through' meaning he was going to leave soon. Leave her behind.

He grunted, he was getting way too wishy-washy for his tastes. He grabbed one of the sake bottles on the table and started guzzling, not caring that he had an empty stomach. He relaxed as he felt the familiar, fiery liquid slide down his throat. Food _and _sake. His day was looking better.

Before long Fuu came back with a multitude of plates. She set them down in front of him. He quirked an eyebrow at this.

"What's this? I didn't order all of this."

"Chef said you could have the dishes that those thugs ordered since he cooked it already."

"I ain't paying for all of this." he grimaced at the thought of having to spend more money than he wanted.

"You don't have to. Chef said you only have to pay for the dishes you ordered." she replied, taking a seat across from Mugen.

Mugen's eyebrow seemed to be getting a lot of exercise today. He looked at her expectantly, "Don't you have other customers to take care of?"

"Nah lunch rush is mostly over," she retorted, gesturing with her arm at the thinning number of customers, "It'll get busier again later."

He grunted as he was busy stuffing his mouth with shrimp dumplings. Before long his cheeks were puffing out like a chipmunk's.

"Yo' 'ook 'ice in 'at uniform" he somehow managed to say with a crammed mouth, little bits of food flying out.

"Ew...that's disgusting Mugen! Swallow before you speak." she turned away in distaste but really she was turning to hide the blush that was appearing on her cheeks.

He gulped down the food in his mouth and a devious smirk appeared on his lips, "Not that you have anything to flaunt."

Now her cheeks were red for a different reason, "Mugen you jackass!" She picked up a stick of dango and threw it at him.

It would've worked if Mugen was a normal person, but he was anything but. He deftly caught it in his mouth and started chewing thoughtfully.

"My, my...is this how you treat all your customers? I would rather you come over and hand-feed it to me." there was that grin again.

Back to embarrassment it is. Mugen must be having a field day, toying with her emotions.

"So you're gonna be leaving soon?" she asked, suddenly finding great interest in one of the sake bottles.

"Yep" he didn't even bother to stop stuffing his face when he answered.

Curiously, Fuu's expression suddenly brightened, "Hey, can I go with you?"

_Cough, Sputter, Cough_ Mugen downed some sake in order to clear his throat. He stared at her, she was serious. This might be easier than he thought...

Choking back a 'Hell yes' he turned a wary eye on her as if contemplating the situation. "No"

"What? Why not?" she whined, sticking out her bottom lip.

"You're more trouble than you're worth" he didn't bother looking at her, worried that if he did his stony facade might crumble.

"B-but I'll pay for everything. I have money saved up. In a few more days I'll have more than enough."

He stared as her, "You mean if I somehow decide to let you tag along,_I _have to wait for_you?_"

"It'll only be a few days. I'll pay for everything and I promise I'll try to stay out of trouble" she was almost pleading at this moment.

He grunted, "Two"

"Huh?"

"Two" he repeated, "I'll wait two days and if you're still not ready then, I'm leaving your ass behind." He burped, satisfied that he now had a full stomach.

"Yay" she squealed, waving her arms in excitement "It'll be worth it. Trust me. So where can I find you?"

"I'll be around" He stood up and ambled off, scratching his stomach. "Thanks for the meal."

"Hey...wait. Mugen! You have to pay for this!"

"You owed me that." he yelled over his shoulder.

"Hey Fuu! Did that guy pay?" the voice of the chef could be heard easily in the now nearly empty restaurant. Fuu groaned, she hated it when her fortune came true.

* * *

**OOC in some places I guess? Like the rescuing scene and the compliments. I don't think Mugen would normally give in so easily either. And you would think that Fuu picked up a few self-defense moves. Ahh oh well a bit of a cliched situation, but everyone loves it when Mugen saves Fuu. Right? **

**If I figure out a better situation and context I'll re-write this **

**Look forward to the next chapter. There might even be a steamy bath scene. wink nudge**


	4. Soap Can Make For A Slippery Situation

**Argh really late update. Thanks to the three reviewers. I can see that no one really reads my little blurbs.**

**I apologize if any of the characters seem OOC. It's hard trying to write Mugen as more laid-back but still the bad-ass that he is. That said there might be OOC sprinkled around in this chapter and I apologize for that.**

* * *

Fuu sighed as she finally finished wiping down the last table.

Today had been a bad day, money-wise. She was glad that she got to see Mugen again, but she did not appreciate that she had to foot his bill. She had also tripped several trips, resulting in spilled food and sake which also was taken out from her pay.

"See you guys tomorrow" she would have to remember to tell them that she would be leaving soon. 'Tomorrow' she reassured herself as she changed into her normal clothes

She slid the door open and stepped outside. It was already dark outside and the chilly breezes confirmed that.

"Oi, you're finally done? Took ya long enough" the drawl pierced through the still night air.

Fuu turned around to see Mugen leaning against the wall, arms crossed and one leg up with his knee sticking out.

Fuu's eyebrows shot up in surprise. It was almost as if...

"Were you waiting for me Mugen?"

"Feh. You wish." he retorted, waving her off with one hand, "I couldn't find a single whorehouse in this hick ass town."

"MUGEN! YOU PERVERT! You've only been here for half a day and you're looking for whores already!?" she slugged him in the shoulder, probably hurting herself more in the process.

Mugen scratched his head, finally cracking open an eye to look at the girl screeching at him. His eyebrow slowly disappeared under his shaggy hair that had once again fallen across his forehead. He other eye slowly opened as he looked over the girl who was wagging a finger in his face and blathering on about how he didn't respect women.

'Heh...not too bad...'

He stared at her full, pink lips that were still moving up and down. He found himself wondering how they would taste like. His eyes wandered lower, to her chest where the tiniest bit of cleavage could be seen. He found himself remembering that they really were bigger than they seemed. His eyes wandered _even lower_ where an _awful_ lot of leg was showing. He found himself wondering how they would feel, wrapped around him as he...

"MUGEN! Are you listening to me!?"

"Hai, hai" he muttered, slightly angry that his day-dream was disturbed and also slightly confused as to why he was day-dreaming about _that_ in the first place.

"And you still haven't told me why you're here" she glared at him suspiciously.

"Hn? Eh...don't have a place to stay." he said offhandedly, scratching his head absentmindedly. "So I'm crashing at your place."

"What!? No way! You can sleep on the streets for all I care." she humphed, crossing her arms and turning away.

"Huh? Being a bitch already?" then there was silence and Fuu froze as she felt Mugen whisper in her ear, his hot breath tickling her.

"Or is it cause you're afraid you won't be able to hold back?"

Fuu was proud that she held back a shiver. That voice...sounded...so full of lust, that she could feel it emanating from the man behind her.

"Stop being such a pervert!" she whirled around and knocked him one on the back of his head, "And for your information, it's because I just might die from your stink."

She made a big show of holding her nose. Mugen scowled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Is that all? Then...Bath. Now." he brought his face within a inch of Fuu's. Fuu found herself unable to breathe.

"Now" Mugen growled and suddenly picked her up and slung her over one shoulder, "Where is it?"

"MUGEN! PUT ME DOWN!" she shrieked as loud as she could into his ear.

"Damnnn bitch. You still as loud as ever" Mugen muttered as he stuck a pinkie into his ear, hoping that he wasn't gonna go deaf. "I ain't letting you go until you tell me where that bathhouse is."

Fuu slumped in defeat. She knew that it must look like quite a scene to the few people that were still wandering around.

"It's a few streets down that-a-ways. It's on your left."

"Huh? Which is my left?"

"The side I'm not on." she explained slowly, unbelieving how the man was able to survive so long without even knowing his right from his left.

Fuu squealed as Mugen started to run, causing her to bounce up and down.

"M-mugen, slow d-down"

Mugen either didn't hear her or chose not to. Instead he ran even faster. Fuu tried desperately to breathe, as every bounce knocked the air out of her.

'I'm gonna kill him after this is over.'

* * *

Fuu moaned softly, as she sank into the warm water of the bath. She rubbed her stomach and winced. There was definitely gonna be bruises there tomorrow. She frowned and thought about the man who caused them.

She still couldn't believe it; that he somehow made his way back into her life. If he was here, that would mean that Jin would probably show up again as well. But she was glad that the foul-mouthed pirate had showed up first. That would mean they would have some time alone. She suddenly shivered even though she wasn't cold.

Why would she want some alone time with that foul-mouthed, violent jackass?

_I know I should tell you how I feel_

A jackass that was always there for her. A jackass that as much as she hated to admit it, held some affection for. A jackass that she couldn't confess because 'there was always Jin around' but mostly because she was afraid.

_I wish everyone would disappear_

Suddenly she was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of a door sliding open and shut. Then he heard the sound of obnoxious whistling. It could only be one person...

"MUGEN! GET OUT OF HERE!" she screamed, searching for something to throw at the pirate.

"Huh? Fuu?"

_Everytime you call me, I'm too scared to be me _

"Wuzzat? You the only one here?" he sounded disappointed.

"MUGEN! GET OUT! THIS IS THE WOMEN'S BATH!" she tried covering herself with her arms, face starting to flush and it was not because of the heat.

"Hn? No, it ain't." he scowled, disappointed that there weren't more girls in the bath. He tapped the sign "See here? Says after eight it's mixed."

She gaped at him. She knew that he learned to read sometime during their journey but he could only read at an eight-year old level. When did he learn to read 'mixed' or even times? If she didn't know any better, she would've sworn that Mugen had been studying behind their backs.

"What?" he glared at her, before pulling off the towel he tied around his waist.

Fuu 'eeped' and turned around as fast as she could, her face crimson red now. She could hear Mugen's groan and she felt the water ripple as the Ryukuian got into the water. She turned to peek at the vagabond who was reclining, arms on the rocky outcrop and head back, eyes closed.

She stared at his battle-scarred body. His skin was bronze and looked too dark for someone of Asian descent. His biceps twitched as he tried to release the tension in them. She found herself wondering what type of exercises he did in order to develop arms that could slice through men with ease and throw baseballs at 175 mph. His pecs looked like slabs of rock and scars, big and small were scattered across them. His abs...if they weren't perfection, they were pretty damn close. She stopped her eyes from wandering any lower, deeming it inappropriate for her. She looked up, to study his features only to see two steely grey eyes staring back at her.

"Like what you see?" his low growl sounded strangely seductive.

She shivered before quickly turning her head back.

_And I'm too shy to say _

"Who would be looking at you? It's not like you have anything to look at." she could feel his gaze boring into the back of her head. She was met by silence an unusual concept. Normally Mugen would be retorting with a 'Bitch' or 'What the fuck do you know?' She turned around slightly, to peek over her shoulder to see what was wrong.

She saw nothing.

Where Mugen was just a second ago was empty space.

'What the hell? He wasn't the type of person to get pissed off by a comment that small and just leave.'

She quickly scanned the room, arms still protecting her chest protectively. She didn't notice the water in front of her start to bubble. Then in a explosion of water, much like a tsunami Mugen popped up in front of her, roaring like a madman. Fuu shrieked her head off, the shrill scream echoing in the enclosed bath.

And Mugen, he was...he was...laughing? He was chortling. No, he was laughing like a madman.

"Ahahahaha! You should've seen the look on your face! Oh, man that was priceless."

And Fuu...Fuu was positively livid. Actually she wasn't quite sure what she was feeling. It was a cross between anger, embarrassment and relief. But she would never admit to the relief part. Nope, she would never do that.

_Ooh, I got a crush on you _

"Oi, whasa matter with ya?"

"MUGEN! YOU JERK!" finding nothing at hand to throw at him, Fuu had to settle for splashing water in his face. She couldn't believe that she thought such a jackass was sexy.

Mugen found himself, under attack by an onslaught of water, "Oi, bitch stop that." If anything, Fuu re-doubled her efforts to drown the pirate. He was starting to get irritated and usually when he got irritated, heads were going to roll. He suddenly disappeared as he dived under the surface.

Fuu momentarily stopped her frantic splashing as she squinted to try and catch a glimpse of the man who disappeared under. She felt a hand on her leg and she managed a small gasp as she too, was dragged under.

"Mrmph!"

She gurgled as she unconsciously tried to breathe, sucking in a big gulp of water. Her eyes burned as she tried to find the figure of the person dragging her down. There he was, grinning like a wolf. She lashed out once with her foot. He frowned, no one would be smiling after getting kicked in the face. She lashed out again and he finally let go.

Fuu gasped for breath after she finally made her way to the surface, lungs burning for air. She clutched desperately at the rock outcrops surrounding the bath and forced herself to breath slow,calming breaths. Then all of a sudden, all of those thoughts went out of her head as two tanned, lanky arms complete with blue tattoos came to rest on either side of her head.

So much for breathing.

She peered over her shoulder, only to be pinned down by those stony grey eyes. She found that she couldn't look away. That she couldn't scream and hit him. That her heart was beating so fast, that every part of her body would've been blushing. He just stood there, grinning like a predator who had just cornered its prey. He was close, _so close._ Fuu bet that if she moved her head an inch towards him, their lips might just brush together. She wondered how he would react.

_I hope you feel the way that I do_

She was unable to stop her shiver as he brought his face closer, whispering in her ear.

"Oi, Bitch. That hurt. I'm gonna have fun paying you back for that." his velvety smooth voice caused her hair to stand on end, despite the hot water. Her mind raced, thinking of the possible interpretations of his words. Many of her thoughts had to do with something of a sexual nature and she found herself wondering if she would resist.

Mugen grinned, he couldn't help it. The sight of Fuu shivering and looking at him in, what seemed to be fear gave him a natural high. He found himself examining every inch of Fuu's back. Her pale skin stood in stark contrast with his dark skin. Smooth to rough. Flawless to scarred. Clean to tainted with blood. Light to dark.

He grunted. That's what they were. Light and dark. Complete opposites. There was no way they could ever be together. That and the fact that when it came to love, Mugen was more clueless than a dog. He didn't know what he could offer her.

Mugen felt his smile vanishing. He felt...what did he feel? He wasn't used to feelings and this rush of unknown emotions confused him. The half-erection that he had gotten when he received quite an eyeful when Fuu kicked him (only reason he couldn't dodge) was not helping matters. Did he just want to fuck her? To get her out of his system? Or was it something more? And if it was something more, _what was it?_ All he knew was that he didn't want Fuu to be hurt. That much he had accepted. So, what was he supposed to do? He growled, all this thinking was giving him a headache.

Fuu was snapped out of her trance-like state by Mugen's growl. After she had gotten over the initial shock of Mugen being so close, she got busy studying his features. Even without the hair, he really did have striking features. A rugged face with chiseled chin, prominent cheekbones, and_amazing _eyes. She saw his demeanor change and wondered what he was thinking. Her eyes locked onto the three faint scars on his right cheek. Scars that he had obtained saving _her._ Just like he always did. He had showed up to rescue her even though she wasn't expecting him to. Even though Mugen appeared to be a simple man, he might be more enigmatic than Jin. She felt her heart starting to beat faster again.

_I get a rush when I'm with you _

She nearly squealed in surprise as she heard Mugen's gruff whisper.

"Turn around and close your eyes."

"W-w-hat?" Fuu was still not emotionally ready for this even though the idea had flitted through her mind. She didn't know if Mugen even liked her and she didn't want to be a one night stand type of thing.

"Shut up and just do it" the tone of Mugen's voice made her obey for some reason.

She sat there, eyes shut, on edge. She couldn't hear anything but that wasn't what was troubling her. She couldn't feel anything which made her wonder what exactly Mugen was planning.

Then she heard the squelches of wet footsteps and the dripping of water. Curiosity getting the better of her, she opened her eyes to see Mugen wrapping a towel around his waist.

"What are you doing?' she was confused by Mugen's actions.

"I'm done. I'll wait for you outside." was his terse response.

She gaped. So this was what he thought of her? Someone he wouldn't even bother touching? Someone that he didn't _even want to touch?_ Surprisingly she felt disappointed and tears sprang to her eyes but she was proud that her voice was level.

"Good. Get out of here, you pervert."

Mugen stiffened at her steely tone. Well it was to be expected. He was the pervert. The dirty man. A man unworthy of such a pure soul. He exited the bath, the door clicking shut behind him. Fuu rubbed her eyes, desperately trying not to cry. Was this how rejection felt like?

Mugen sighed and looked down at his slightly tented towel. He was gonna need a cold bath to calm down. He growled and tried to think about grandmas, fat chicks and a certain four-eyes. It seems that their journey had hit a sang before it even began.

* * *

**Song is 'Crush' by Mandy Moore. Of course it does not belong to me. I just wanted to experiment with with a new form so I apologize if you found it a bit distracting. **

**Look forward to the next chapter. **


	5. Hiatus?

**Faithful followers of my fics, I deeply and profusely apologize ahead of time. One, for this is not an update and the fact that I have not updated in a while. Two, for being the bearer of bad news.**

**As of now my stories will be on hiatus for a while. The reason being of the academic nature. As seeing I will have to go through the college process of which will of course be a tedious and nerve-wracking process; I also made the mistake of taking 5 AP courses and an internship. Seeing that the AP tests are in a few months, I have come to the realization that I actually will have to study for them, as I fall asleep in class and I discover now that I know about half the stuff that's going to be on the tests. **

**Therefore my stories will most likely not be updated until mid-May or so and that's just a rough estimate. There will be a few random updates and oneshots here and there when I feel a need to unwind and just write a little. Once again I apologize and I hope that followers of my fics will still be interested when I return and update more constantly. **


	6. Scorned

**I'm back I guess? Not exactly my best work but I felt a need to churn something out for those who have been waiting. APs+multi all-nighters+gallons of caffeinemassive loss of brain cells. That and the ending of Crisis Core kind of pissed me off. Also I read some manga with really disappointing endings that left me wanting to shoot the author. And now I'm going off on random tangents. **

**Anyways enjoy? I hope?**

Mugen leaned against the side of the bathhouse, looking at the stars as they appeared in vast black night sky. He sighed; he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He really wished that he had a bottle of sake. Alcohol would definitely be the cure for the uncomfortable twitchiness he felt. He felt nervous, uneasy, and agitated, completely unlike him. He wondered how it was that such a tiny girl could make him feel this way, when normally he wouldn't even bat an eye at men twice his size.

He ran a swarthy hand through his unruly hair. He was doing that a lot lately too. He tensed as he heard the door to the bathhouse slid open. He closed his eyes as he heard the _click_ of the door shutting; Fuu brushed past him without a word, the scent of her flowery shampoo lingering in his nose.

He pushed himself off the wall and wordlessly began to follow her, lacing his fingers behind his head. The tension in the air was palpable and he found his fingers itching to grab his sword even though there was clearly no presence of an enemy in the vicinity.

The uncomfortable silence continued for a while until Fuu suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. Mugen screeched to a dead halt as well.

"Why are you following me?"

Silence.

Mugen scratched his head and tried to come up with an answer or a witty comeback. Why _was_ he following her? The fact that he needed dinner and a place to stay seemed insignificant now.

Mugen opened his mouth and then shut it. What the hell? The mouth that can spew a thousand curses over a stubbed toe couldn't find anything to say? He shrugged, a wasted action since Fuu still had her back facing him.

"I'm fucking starving and I nee' a damn place to stay. I thought I tole you already ya dumb broad." There. A true Mugensque answer.

Fuu stiffened at these words and continued walking without a response. What? Was she expecting something else?

_Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned_

Of course Mugen wouldn't understand a concept like this. He was way too ignorant and clueless for that.

Mugen scratched his stubbly chin and silently followed her. _'What crawled up her ass and died?'_ he wondered as they walked, the _thunking_ sound of his geta cutting through the silence.

Fuu shut her eyes and tried to drown out the sound of the man walking behind her. She was still pissed off at Mugen's 'rejection' and she was more pissed at the fact that he seemed to not be concerned by it.

She stopped in front of her small house and unlocked the door. She debated with herself whether or not she should shut the door in his face. She sighed as she decided against it, straining their relationship any more was not worth the pleasure she would get from his outcries of fury.

She winced as the pirate stomped into the house and kicked off his geta before plopping himself down in front of the dining table. Still the same old Mugen...not that a week could change a person that much.

"What's for dinner?" he demanded hotly, chin resting in a hand as he leaned on the table.

She didn't respond as she moved into the small kitchen, pulling out a small basket of produce from underneath the small sink-like structure. She wordlessly chose a few vegetables and placed them on a chopping block. She began chopping the vegetables with a fury that was almost unbefitting of her.

Mugen grunted as Fuu continued to ignore him. He was starting to get irritated by the whole silent treatment. As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to miss her whiny voice. He reclined, using his hands as a pillow as he stared at the ceiling above him. He started to think, another thing he was doing more and more often.

What was he to do now? He never should've tried looking for her. Now that he found her what was suppose to do? Just keep traveling like old times? She would've been better off by herself. Sure she wouldn't have had a bodyguard but what good was a bodyguard if you needed a bodyguard to protect you from that bodyguard?

Mugen's head hurt from trying to work out that last sentence and he grimaced, trying to regain his line of thought.

The things he knew for sure were that she didn't hold much thought for or about him. That much was evident. She always went to Jin when she had problems. He remembered that night when he saw them by the riverside, hugging. For some reason when he saw that scene he felt like grabbing his sword and slashing Jin into a million tiny pieces. But he didn't. He wondered why he acted like such a pussy back then. Was it because he didn't want his true emotions to show? Or was it because she chose Jin and he just wanted her to be happy?

He grunted. What the hell was he thinking about all this pansy stuff for? He was distracted from his musings by the smells of food wafting in from the kitchen. _'She can cook?'_ And from the smell of it, she was adequate at it.

Mugen rolled onto his side and studied Fuu who was still working on dinner. His eyes were fixated on Fuu's backside as she bent over to retrieve something from under the sink. He felt a familiar rumbling in his lower anatomy. He rolled over to his other side and idly scratched his balls. It was gonna be a problem if he got this reaction everytime he watched her. As much as he hated it, he might have to take care of things by hand.

He cracked open an eye at the sound of dishes being set on the table. He shifted himself into a sitting position and stared at the steaming mess set in front of him.

"What the fuck is this shit?"

"If you don't like it you don't have to eat it."

Mugen scratched his head and looked at Fuu. She had already started eating but she was taking small and dainty bites, very unFuu-like. He shrugged and started stuffing his face. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. It wasn't half-bad.

Fuu studied the man shoving food down his throat like it was his last meal. She chewed on a bite of rice thoughtfully as she got lost in her own thoughts.

Maybe it was better this way. If she had revealed her feelings and then got rejected, it would've been ten times worse. This way she didn't have to go out on a limb. After all, in the end that's what she was. A scared little girl.

She finished her last bite of rice, chewing on her chopsticks as she heard a burp and a satisfied grunt from the other side of the table.

Mugen leaned back and started rubbing his stomach contentedly. He took a quick glance at Fuu;she had been awfully quiet throughout dinner. Was it because of that bathhouse incident? He wondered if he should apologize.

"Hey...Fuu..."

"What?"

"Nuthin" he couldn't do it. In his nineteen years, he never apologized once and he wasn't gonna start now.

Fuu looked at him quizzically before returning to her task of clearing the table.

"You know, you could help out a little" she said, plunking a plate onto of another.

"Huh?" Mugen looked at her like she was crazy. "Too tired," he grunted and leaned back again.

Fuu sighed exasperatedly but made no other comment. Soon the sound of water filled the small house . Mugen reclined, in a food-induced stupor as he burped contentedly. His brain had officially shut down for the night and so he aimlessly stared at the ceiling and waggled his finger in front of his face in intricate designs.

Fuu finished washing up and got ready for bed. She walked into the dining room where Mugen was still lying on his back, lost in his own world.

"Good night Mugen"

A simple grunt.

Fuu scowled and was about to reprimand him before she realized that she didn't quite have the energy to do so. She crawled into her small futon and blew out the candles, throwing the room into darkness.

Mugen remained there motionless in the dark, staring at his hand. It was the same hand that nearly got maimed by that crazy scythe dude. He opened and closed it, trying to see if there were any lingering effects on it. He felt twinges of pain from time to time but it was nothing serious.

He turned to examine the sleeping girl. The moonlight streaming in from the single window played across her face. Mugen felt torn between uneasiness and a sense of peace.

'I'll just let this play out.' he thought as he settled back. Slowly he drifted off to sleep, floating off to a world free of restrictions and bitchy girls.

**Dunno when next update will be. Hopefully it will be sometime soon, as soon as I get rid of my constant headache. **


End file.
